Combined carbonator and bottle filler with auxiliary counterpressure chamber



Oct. 8, 1940.

W. E. EEOSTELMANN COMBINED CARQOIIATOR AND BOTTLE FILLER WITH AUXILIARY COUNTERPRESSURE CHAMBER Filed Sept. 29. 1937 Patented Oct. 8, 1940 PATENT OFFICE LJCOMBINED CARBONATOR. AND BOTTLE FILLER WITH -AUXILIARY COUNTER.- PRESSURE CHAMBER William E. Bostelmann, Oak Park, 111. Application Septembcr 29, 1937, Serial N0. 166,319

' 7 Claims.

, This invention relates to an improved combined carbonator and bottle filler with automatic shift and has, for one of its principal objects,

I the provision of a unitary self-containedappa- 5 ratus which will, in ome and the same operation, carbonate still water and fill bottles therewith.

This applicationconstitutes a partial continuation of and involves an improvement over my prior application for patent on Combination 10 carbonating and bottle filling machine, Serial No. 74,095, filed April 13, .1936;

.One of theimportant objects of this invention is ,to provide a water. carbonator and bottle filler which shall comprise, in addition to the lliadvantagesbutlined in my. aforesaid application for patent,means for automatically relieving or snifting oifair which islet into the carbonator during the bottle filling operation.

Other objects of this invention which are also set forth in my earlier application constitute the carbonating of'water in a bottle filling device, the introduction of a pump for the water into the rotating bottle filling mechanism, and a special arrangement of means for introducing the car- 25 bonic acidrgas into the incoming fresh water line.

Other advantages are included, such as automatic level control of the carbonated liquid, the usual automatically operated snift valve, baffle plates and the.like. 1 I 30 Other and further important objects ofthe invention'will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following speci-v fication. T The invention, in a preferred form, is shown in 35 the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing the figure is an elevational view, a majority of the parts being shown in section, of the improved combined carbonator and bottle flller with automatic snift.

40 As shown in the drawing the reference numeral I indicates generally a supporting frame or element for the improved combined carbonator and bottle filler of this invention, and the same generally comprises a casing I2 mounted on a 4 vertical supporting .lelement I4 which includes as a part thereof a pipe line composed of a fixed pipe I6 and a second pipe I8 rotatable in the first pipe, the same being joined in a leak-preventing manner by means of apacking gland or the like 20.

50 A water pump 22 is provided mounted on the frame I4 and container I2, and this rotates with the container. This can be driven in any obvious manner as by an electric motor alsorotatable 5 with the pump.

Valves 24 and 26 are provided in the water line toproperly control the flow of water through the pump and into the tank I2.

An extension 28 of the intake pipe extends upwardly through the center of the container I2 approximately to the top thereof and terminates in the usual spray head 30 from whence the incoming water is delivered into baffle plates 32.

An intake pipe 34 is provided for carbonic acid gas, this pipe beingconnected by means of a rotatable gland 36 to a fixed pipe line 38 which leads to a supply of gas.

The pipe 34 extendsdownwardly through the tank I2 to the bottom thereof and then passes into the water inlet pipe 28 in such a manner that the carbonic acid gas is mixed with the incoming water at a point just beyond the pumpi A float 40 is provided inside the tank I2, this float being connected with an electric switch apparatus 42 which controls the operation of the g0 pump 22, and, accordingly, the level of the carbonated liquid in the container.

The container I2 is supported by an annular chamber outlined by walls 44 as illustrated, and

the liquid is allowed topass freely into this chamber 44. Air from bottles being filled at the filler elements 52 also enters the chamber 44 by means of the pipes 54, and when this air volume exceeds a certain predetermined amount, the liquid level isaccordingly depressed, allow- 6 ing the float 56 to open the valve 58 and permitting the air to escape through the valve 58 to the atmosphere. When a certain amount of air has so escaped, the liquid level accordingly again rises, and the valve is automatically closed. Counterpressure gas in the chamber 44 enters the bottles through the tubes 54, and as this volume and gas pressure are lowered, the liquid level rises. The float 46 then accordingly opens the valve 48, allowing gas from the top of the chamber I2 to re-enter the. auxiliary tank 44 through the pipe line 50, thereby keeping the supply of counterpressure gas or carbon dioxide automatically replenished. Obviously, a plu-' rality of tubes 50 could be employed, one for each bottle filler.

The only connection which is normally open between the inner chamber I2 and the outer casing 44 is the passage at the bottom of the skirt of the casing I2. Gas pressure in the chamber I2 depresses the level of the liquid in that chamber thereby raising the level of the liquid in the outer housing 44. The float 56 provides against undue depression of the liquid level in the auxiliary chamber 44 due to influx to the air from filled bottles while the float 46 automatically acts to replenish the supply of gas in the top of the outer annular channel 44 when the liquid level rises too high in this chamber owing to lowering of pressure by venting of the gas during the bottle filling operation.

The pump 22 may be operated by means of gears fixed on the frame In, and the frame I 0 also includes a bottle raising mechanism 60 which cooperates with the filling tubes 52.

It will be evident that herein is provided a combination liquid carbonating and bottle filling mechanism which includes in a single unit all the apparatus which would ordinarily have to be embodied in at least two or possibly three separate units and which, furthermore, includes all the advantages of the most modern devices, at the same time eliminating many disadvantages such as the undesirable bubbling and foaming and loss of gas which necessarily occurs when carbonated liquids are piped over any considerable distance. Mixture of air with the gas is automatically avoided by this improved mechanism, and the air eliminated from the bottles during the filling operation is also automatically snifted oiT, thereby avoiding any objection or disadvantage which might arise from this source.

This auxiliary counter-pressure chamber will also serve to maintain a more uniform level of carbonated water, for the filling tubes, which is so necessary to proper filling,

Inasmuch as the storage tank for vented air from the .bottles is separated from the carbonating tank proper by a water seal, and further, inasmuch as this air is periodically allowed to escape to the atmosphere, a proper carbonating action always occurs.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a fixed intake for uncharged water, a carbonating tank and associated bottle filling means centrally and rotatably mounted about the fixed intake, and an auxiliary counterpressure chamber associated With the carbonating tank, together with a water pump beneath the tank and rotatable therewith.

2. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a fixed intake for uncharged water, a carbonating tank and associated bottle filling means centrally and rotatably mounted about the fixed intake, and an auxiliary counterpressure chamber associated with the carbonating tank, together with a water pump beneath the tank and rotatable therewith a water line leading from the pump to the top of the tank, and means for introducing carbon dioxide into the water line beyond the pump.

3. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a fixed intake for uncharged water, a carbonating tank and associated bottle filling means centrally and rotatably mounted about the fixed intake, and an auxiliary counterpressure chamber associated with the carbonating tank, together with a water pump beneath the tank and rotatable therewith, a water line leading from the pump to the top of the tank and means for introducing carbon dioxide into the Water line beyond the pump and within the tank.

' 4. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a main liquid carbonating chamber, an auxiliary counter-pressure chamber integral with, outside of, and surrounding the main chamber, bottle filler means beneath the auxiliary chamber, an intake pipe for uncharged Water, and means for rotatably mounting the carbonating chamber with respect to the pipe, connections from the auxiliary chamber to the bottle-filling means, and a float valve for controlling the level of the carbonated liquid.

5. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a main liquid carbonating chamber, an auxiliary counterpressure chamber integral with, outside of, and surrounding the main chamber, bottle filler means beneath the auxiliary chamber, an intake pipe for uncharged water, and means for rotatably mounting the carbonating chamber with respect to the pipe, connections from the auxiliary chamber to the bottle-filling means, and a float valve for controlling the level of the carbonated liquid, together with another float valve in the auxiliary chamber for controlling the volume and pressure of the gas in the auxiliary chamber.

6. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, including a main liquid carbonating chamber, an auxiliary counterpressure chamber integral with, outside of, and surrounding the main chamber, bottle filler means beneath the auxiliary chamber, an intake pipe for uncharged water, and means for rotatably mounting the carbonating chamber with respect to the pipe, connections from the auxiliary chamber to the bottle-filling means, and a float valve for controlling the level of the carbonated liquid, together with another float valve in the auxiliary chamber for controlling the volume and pressure of the gas in the auxiliary chamber, said means in the auxiliary chamber also acting to snift air to the atmosphere.

7. A combined carbonator and bottle filler, having an outer auxiliary counterpressure chamber associated therewith including a single rotatable housing, bottle filler means attached to the outer auxiliary chamber, walls in the single rotatable housing separating the same into inner and outer auxiliary chambers, Water and gas intake pipes in the inner chamber, baflle means in the inner chamber for carbonating water introduced thereinto, gas and carbonated water discharge pipes in the outer auxiliary chamber, and float valves for controlling the level of carbonated water in both the inner chamber and the outer auxiliary chamber.

' WILLIAM E. BOSTELMANN. 

